BXBX NOVEL Chapter 1100: Breaking Minds, Opening The Gate
Chapter 1100: Breaking Minds, Opening The Gate
Lakul had no choice but to reveal his deepest emotions, hoping Paradise would pity them and aid them in their desperate hour of need.
The other three previous leaders felt the same way.
"You don\'t have to worry. I came here as quickly as possible to handle the situation," Orion replied. "The Sleeping Fox Runaway City is now under Paradise\'s protection, so there is no way I will abandon it to such a fate."
"Thank you, Supreme Leader!" Lakul responded, his tone filled with emotion and excitement. He didn\'t doubt the Supreme Leader\'s words for a moment because there had never been a time when he failed to fulfil them.
The three former leaders behind him exhaled in relief and said in unison, "Thank you, Supreme Leader!"
Orion nodded. "However, before we continue, I would like to introduce them to you," he said, gesturing toward Ilse and Iris.
Lakul nodded and swiftly rose to his feet along with the others. He focused on Ilse and Iris with a mixture of curiosity and reverence. Even without the Supreme Leader pointing directly at them, he could sense the extraordinary aura they both exuded.
The woman\'s beauty, adorned with various jewels, was enough to make the gazes of both men and women linger. But he didn\'t dare stare for fear of being disrespectful and incurring her wrath. Though he couldn\'t see through the armoured woman, he was certain she possessed a similar beauty.
During his time as leader of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City, Lakul had engaged with women from various races, even those as high-ranking as other Runaway City leaders, so he had a refined taste. Nonetheless, judging by their aura and presence beside the Supreme Leader and a key Leader, he surmised they held high positions of authority within Paradise.
"This is Ilse, the goddess of treasures, one of the divine beings residing in Paradise and our strongest ally," Orion said, introducing Ilse.
Lakul and the others behind him widened their eyes in shock. A cold wind blew against their skin, causing them to freeze and shiver as though they were encased in ice. Then, they staggered forward, falling to their knees and prostrating before her.
A real goddess was before them! The revelation was so overwhelming that it took them a moment to comprehend it fully.
Though they wouldn\'t have been surprised if someone had told them a divine being lived in Paradise, they had never been sure. So, seeing a goddess in person caused their soul to nearly leave their body.
But that wasn\'t all. The Goddess\'s introduction replayed in their minds, making them realize she wasn\'t the only divine being in Paradise-there were others. While other Runaway Cities boasted about the strength of their gods\' chosens and resources, Paradise had many divine beings whose existence was kept hidden until now.
"... Goddess, please forgive us for giving you such a disgraceful welcome. Due to our current situation, we were unable to prepare properly. Please do not take anger on us. I promise we will do better next time!" Lakul pleaded loudly.
He dared not show even a hint of complacency, only reverence. If the Supreme Leader was a man to whom he should bow and obey without question, then goddess Ilse was someone he had to treat with even greater deference. However, it didn\'t escape his notice that she didn\'t oppose the Supreme Leader\'s authority, or she would have intervened when he revealed her identity. This left Lakul unsure how to treat them both.
Thud!
Thud!
Suddenly, the three former leaders behind him collapsed to the ground. Lakul glanced back at them before sighing internally.
It was impressive that they had remained standing with him for a few seconds after that mind-shattering introduction. As for him, the only reason he was still conscious was through sheer willpower alone.
Lakul glanced down at his bloodied, clenched fist and couldn\'t help but smile wryly.
"Will they be okay?" Orion asked, his voice tinged with concern as he looked at the
unconscious individuals on the floor-a sloth demon man and woman and a Nimvire man.
Lakul swiftly nodded and replied, "They will. They need a little rest to process the information they\'ve just learned."
Ilse internally snorted, paying them no heed.
Orion nodded in understanding, slightly amused. He contemplated whether to proceed with introducing Ilse before deciding to do so.
"This is Iris, one of Paradise\'s Divine Apostles," Orion introduced.
At that moment, Lakul grew numb from the torrent of information flooding his mind. He no longer uttered a word but stared at Iris, mouth agape. Despite the revelation being lesser than a goddess\'s, it was no less shocking.
For the Supreme Leader to bring these two to the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and introduce them meant that the enemy who had seized control of their Runaway City was equivalent to a Divine Being. It was the only reasonable conclusion he could draw at the moment.
"Are you okay?" Orion asked, his eyes fixed on Lakul.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It would be a shame if he, too, collapsed after all. However, he received no response. Lakul remained in place, absentminded and unblinking.
Orion sighed tiredly. He summoned a tiny bolt of lightning and sent it toward them.
Crackle!!
The moment the lightning touched them, their bodies trembled lightly, rousing Lakul from his shocked state and the three leaders behind him from their unconsciousness.
Lakul looked around, then at Orion and those beside him. Realizing he wasn\'t dreaming, he coughed dryly, clearing his throat, and said, "I\'m sorry for displaying such rude behaviour. I promise it won\'t happen again."
The three former leaders, who had also awakened and were still on their knees, nodded in agreement, their heads bowed in shame.
"It\'s fine. Take us to the Forge Palace," Orion said. He wanted to attempt breaking into it.
"Follow me," Lakul said, nodding swiftly in response. He got up from the floor and led the
way forward.
Within thirty minutes, they arrived at the Forge Palace.
Orion looked at the gigantic, magically reinforced gates forged from Vylkr alloys. The surroundings outside were spacious, making it easy to spot anyone tens of meters away. Orion walked toward the door and placed his hand on it. However, he was instantly repelled backwards by an invisible force. A deep frown formed on Orion\'s face. He hadn\'t expected the repelling force to be so strong.
Orion turned to Ilse. "Why don\'t you give it a try?" he said.
Ilse nodded and stepped forward. Arriving before the gigantic metallic door, she placed her hand on it and channelled her divine energy into it, attempting to break through and force it open. Though she felt the same repelling force that had pushed Orion back, it was too weak to
harm her.
Suddenly, the sounds of shifting gears resonated in the air. Glowing runes and sigils emerged on the door\'s surface, revealing a complex array of locks that slowly parted. Ilse continued to channel more divine energy to break through its defences, causing the ground beneath to
tremble.
Orion exhaled in relief as Ilse continued to open the gigantic door.
Lakul and the three former leaders behind him watched in amazement. They understood they were witnessing a fraction of the power of a god within Paradise.
A bright light shone from within as the door widened, revealing a chaotic room thrown into
disarray.
Ilse\'s eyes widened in surprise. She immediately waved her wrist, tearing a rift in space. The rift glowed with a golden light, indicating that Ilse had opened her vault. A vibrant hum emanated, and a beam of golden-purple light shot out, clashing with the incoming vibrant
white light.
BANG!! BOOM!!
The sudden clash astonished Orion and everyone else. They hadn\'t anticipated the sudden attack, but fortunately, Ilse had reacted quickly.
Sensing the strength of the white beam of light increasing, Ilse increased the intensity of her
attack.
"STOP! STOP!! YOU\'RE GOING TO DESTROY THE FORGE PALACE!" Lakul screamed at the top of his lungs, prostrating himself beside Ilse.
He feared that the Forge Palace would be destroyed by goddess Ilse, which would spell the
end of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City.
"Ilse, stop," Orion said.
Immediately, Ilse removed her hand from the door and reduced the intensity of her attack. She stepped back, observing as the door began to close now that she was no longer trying to break through it. Eventually, it sealed shut.
Soon, Ilse\'s vault returned to normal, emanating only a bright golden radiance. Ilse exhaled tiredly, glanced at the prostrating Lakul, and turned around to return to her previous position. "How was it?" Orion asked, wanting to hear about Ilse\'s firsthand experience.
Ilse looked at Orion and shook her head. "Breaking through the gate is easy. However, the problem lies with the unknown woman inside. Although I\'m unsure how it\'s possible, I believe if we don\'t act soon, she\'ll recover her full strength." She had come to this conclusion based on the sudden attack during her attempt.